The Crash
by suicidalmattsnail
Summary: Hikaru and Kaoru get into a car crash with their parents as children. They are sent to an orphanage and get seperated at the young age of 11. Will they be able to get over their rift that has come between them? Eventual hikaxkao
1. Chapter 1

You could say it all started with a sentence in the backseat of a car when the twins were five. It was one of the rare times their entire family was together, and even rarer still that they weren't in their usual limo being driven around. Their father was in the driver's seat, their mother next to him, and the two brothers occupied the back two seats. And it all started with a sentence.

"Hikaru, there's a spider in hair," Kaoru said slowly, reaching towards the head of his brother.

Hikaru's golden eyes widened in surprise, and he shouted, "Get it off, Kaoru!"

Their mother turned around, her cellphone stuck to her ear as always. "Quiet while I'm on the phone, both of you." She turned back around, and continued to talk quietly to the person on the other end.

Hikaru silenced at the request of their mother, but his hands were still waving uselessly around his head, trying to dislodge the spider from his hair.

"Stay still, Hikaru," Kaoru whispered.

After he complied, Kaoru was able to grab the spider from his orange tuft of hair, and let it rest on his open palm. Hikaru wriggled his nose up in disgust at his brother's new friend.

"Get rid of it Kaoru," Hikaru whined. "It's disgusting."

Thier mother turned around once again. "Both of you, quiet. This is an important call."

Kaoru and Hikaru shared a look as soon as their mother turned around. The mischievous smile that the Hitachiin twins were known for was reflected on the face of each boy. Slowly, Kaoru moved his hand with the spider towards his mother's unsuspecting neck, and then let the thing loose.

His mother shrieked and swatted at her arm, causing the spider to go careening into his father's face.

And then it happened.

The car lurched to the left into oncoming traffic. The screeching of tires and the ear-piercing shriek of metal on metal contact filled the air. Kaoru reached a hand out to Hikaru, and the older twin took the hand into his own.

The rest of the incident was a blur. Neither boy could remember what happened first, what happened last, or what had even happened at all. It wasn't until they were both side by side in a hospital room that either boy understood what had happened.

They had been in a car accident. Their father was instantly killed, and their mother was in critical condition.

As the two young boys sat silently by their mother, a social worker entered the room. The finely dressed woman grabbed a hand from either boy and led them from the room. She sat them down in a conference room of the hospital then kneeled in front of them.

She explained what happened again, but this time she added a piece of information that the boys had not heard before. Their mother was in a coma. She was barely breathing, and she could not wake up on her own. Because of that, the boys were to be put into an orphanage just until they could locate a relative or their mother woke up.

**OoO 3 years later OoO**

"We just can't take both of them," the lady in pink whispered to her husband in blue.

Kaoru held tightly onto the hand of his slightly older twin. No one ever wanted both of them. They always only had room for one.

"Hikaru," Kaoru said softly.

"Don't worry, Kaoru. They won't take either of us. That's what Mrs. Jones always says, remember? She won't let anyone take just one of us."

Mrs. Jones cast a smile upon the twin boys from beside the couple.

"They are little angels, though, really," she told the couple. "With the way that they act, they seem more like one child than two."

The woman looked at her husband questioningly. "We just don't have the room, right Mark? We only have one extra bedroom, and it's small at that."

The husband shook his head. "We just can't take them both. I'm sorry."

Yet another couple walked away from the twins. Mrs. Jones followed after them, most likely advocating for them, but they knew it was a waste of time. They weren't angels, and they weren't easy to deal with. Anyone in the orphanage could attest to that.

"Hikaru, when will mother wake up?" Kaoru asked quietly.

"Soon, Kaoru, soon. And she'll find us and take us home. We'll be a family again."

"What if she doesn't wake up?"

Hikaru forced a smile onto his face for his more tender brother. "Then I'll take care of you. I'll always take care of you, Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled back at Hikaru.

Hikaru ruffled his brother's hair then said, "Now, come on. Let's scare the couple who turned us down. Let's show them what their missing."

The mischievous smile that both Hitachiin twins had never forgotten graced both faces as they snuck out of the visiting room.

**OoO 3 Years later OoO**

Kaoru woke up in bed. He rubbed his eyes sleepily then reached an arm out to shake Hikaru awake. His hand hit nothing but empty bed, however.

"Hikaru," Kaoru called softly as to not wake up the other children.

When he received no answer, Kaoru slowly got out of bed. He checked the bathroom first to see if Hikaru just had to pee. It was empty. Next, he checked the kitchen. Empty. Finally, he checked the visiting room, just in case.

Hikaru was in the visiting room with a couple sitting across from him. Mrs. Jones was standing beside the couple, a small smile on her face. Kaoru stood by the window of the visiting room, wondering why Hikaru was in there alone, and why he hadn't woken up when he left.

Kaoru stood like that until he noticed the couple smiling up at Mrs. Jones, their eyes shining and their heads bobbing up and down.

"Hikaru," Kaoru called from the door.

Everyone in the room turned to look at the young boy standing in the doorway. The couple looked from Hikaru to Kaoru a couple of times before shifting their gazes to Mrs. Jones in confusion.

"You never said he had a brother," the lady said to Mrs. Jones.

"Well, I was going to discuss that with you after you met Hikaru. Why don't you follow me into my office, and we can discuss it now?"

The couple stood up and followed Mrs. Jones out of the visiting room. Kaoru looked at Mrs. Jones with confused eyes, but she kept her eyes straight ahead, not even glancing at the boy.

"Hikaru," Kaoru repeated once again. "What's going on?"  
>Hikaru held a hand out for Kaoru who instantly rushed forward to take it. The younger twin sat next to his brother.<p>

"This couple wants to take me home with them," Hikaru said quietly. "Just as foster parents, though, until I'm eighteen."

Kaoru felt a big smile coming over his face. "You found a home for us?" he asked excitedly.

"No."

Confusion bubbled in Kaoru's mind. "What do you mean 'no'? You said they want you, right? And we're a package deal, right? You made sure to tell them about me, right, Hikaru?"

Hikaru turned his face from his brother. He gazed down at the floor. Be strong, he chided himself. You're doing this for Kaoru. Never forget that.

"They can't take us both, Kaoru. They only want me, and... Mrs. Jones said it would be for the best. They're running out of room here, ya know? If this couple takes me then you won't have to worry about finding someone to take both of us. You can find your own couple..."

"But.." Kaoru grabbed onto Hikaru's arm. "I don't want my own couple. I want to stay with you."

"You can't, Kaoru," Hikaru said. He stood up from the couch. "You need to grow up and be strong. Mom isn't going to wake up, and we aren't going to stay together forever."

Kaoru stood up as well, his amber eyes filling with moisture. He reached for Hikaru's hand, but his brother moved out of his grasp. The younger twin took a step forward, but the older twin moved back a step as well.

"Why?" Kaoru asked, his bottom lip wobbling.

Hikaru looked his brother in the eyes, trying to stay calm. "I'm doing this for you, Kaoru. This way you can have a future outside of this place. This way you won't be kicked out on your ass like some scum. Find a family..."

Mrs. Jones came to the door then, her eyes resting solely on Hikaru. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Hikaru, you can't. You promised!"  
>Hikaru held out his arms, and Kaoru obediently let himself be folded into a warm hug. He grasped his brother's thin shirt in both hands, pulling him as close as he could. When the hug was over, Hikaru placed a kiss on Kaoru's head.<p>

"Stay strong, Kaoru..."

Hikaru walked from the room then without a glance back. He took his place beside the couple taking him home. The lady put her hand on his shoulder and guided him out of the orphanage.

Mrs. Jones cleared her throat. "Kaoru, I'm sorry, but you know that you two couldn't just stay here forever. You've been here longer than any other child."

"You gave away my brother," Kaoru growled under his breath.

"What?" Mrs. Jones asked, coming closer to the boy.

"You gave away my brother!" Kaoru shouted, glaring at the orphanage director. "You promised, and you broke it! You gave away my brother!"  
>The older lady was taken aback by the tone of her young ward as she had never heard Kaoru yell before. She decided that all the boy needed was time. He would eventually come to understand that everything she did was for the best. After all, he only had seven years left either in the orphanage or in a foster home.<p>

**OoO 7 Years later OoO**

Hikaru tapped his foot impatiently as the Taxi moved him farther and farther away from the place he had called home for the last seven years. Not that he wanted to leave it behind, really. The people there were nice, the house was nice, school was nice, everything was nice, but something was missing. Someone was missing. And maybe he could find him at his old home.

After waiting seven years to turn eighteen, Hikaru was finally able to return to the mansion that he had called home before the accident. Apparently, the house had stayed vacant since his mother was still technically alive just comatose in the hospital. It was staffed by a small number of maids, who came in twice a week to open the windows and dust the place down. At least, this is what he was told when he called the place just a week ago to see if it was okay to come visit.

After what felt like hours, the taxi pulled into a long drive that ended in front of the largest building Hikaru could ever remember seeing. His foster parents were well off, but this was the house of someone who was rich. He payed the driver then walked cautiously up the front steps.

Before he could even knock, the door was pulled open. A wrinkled old man stood in the open door.

"Master Kaoru? I did not know you had gone out today."

"Kaoru? No, I'm Hikaru. I called last week to see if it was okay to come home. Kaoru is here?"

The old man bowed lowly. "Forgive me Master Hikaru. It's been a long time since I've seen either of you boys. Yes, your brother arrived just one week ago, right after you called about coming."

Hikaru felt a pang in his chest. His brother... Would he even want to see him? After he left with the Kinins to live at their house, Kaoru wouldn't talk to him. He had tried countless times to visit his twin in the orphanage, but every time Mrs. Jones would turn him away, telling him that Kaoru requested he leave. Eventually, he quit going. He quit thinking of his twin and just tried to live his life.

"Where is he?" Hikaru asked as he entered the home.

"In your bedroom."

Hikaru rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "It's been a while. Do you mind showing me?"  
>"Of course," the man said. He led Hikaru up a staircase, down a hallway, and through multiple sets of doors until finally he stopped at a set of golden double doors. Hikaru vaguely remembered them from his childhood. He could remember pressing his ear against the doors to see what Kaoru was doing while he was not in the room.<p>

"I'll leave you alone. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs."

Hikaru thanked the man politely. He waited until he was out of view before pressing his ear against the door. His hand slid down to the door knob, but before he could turn it he heard a snore from within the room. Hardly breathing, Hikaru listened for anything else, but it was silent again.

Standing outside the door, Hikaru tried to decide whether or not he should just go into the room. It had been seven years after all. He didn't want to wait another hour to see his brother again.

Building up his courage, Hikaru opened the door to the bedroom. He waited a minute at the door after closing it to let his eyes adjust to the dark. Once he could make out at least the faint outline of shapes, he moved forward into the room. A large bed was against the back wall, and Hikaru made his way towards it.

Smiling to himself, Hikaru recalled the nights he had spent in this bed with his brother, both of them curled up together. They had been so close, always together.

"Kaoru," Hikaru called out softly. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Kaoru it's me."

Hikaru gazed down at the sleeping form of his twin brother. He looked so peaceful. Instead of trying to wake him again, Hikaru laid down next to his brother on the bed. He would just lay here and wait until he woke up.

"It's really great to be home," Hikaru whispered to himself.

Kaoru let out a soft snore and turned over in the bed. Hikaru smiled softly. Yes, this was home.

**Okay! Isn't this just awesome! :p Hope everyone likes the first chapter. If you could review or like it that would be awesome sauce. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own OHSHC**


	2. Chapter 2

**OoO 1 week prior OoO**

Kaoru called the house as soon as he turned eighteen. He didn't worry about leaving people behind. He didn't worry about being missed or even being alone, without money or shelter if this didn't pan out. Kaoru's heart beat hard in his chest, thumping in time with the rings from the phone.

Just when he assumed no one would answer, a voice came drifting through the telephone.

"Hello, this is the Hitachiin residence."

"H-hello? This might sound strange, but this is Kaoru Hitachiin."

The person was silent for a moment. "Yes, that does sound strange... That's a name I have not heard in a very long time. If you are calling about your mother, I regret to inform you that she is not here."

"I know," Kaoru said softly. "At least, I assumed. The house, though. It's still owned by my mother?"  
>"Why yes, of course."<p>

Kaoru smiled softly. "That means, I can return, right? I can return to my home?"

"I would be most grateful to once again have a person to look after, Master Kaoru. This house gets lonely with just me in it. When should I be expecting you?"

"W-when?" Kaoru looked around the shabby house he stayed in now. He barely had enough money to get food. He would never have enough money for a cab, and the walk would take over a day. "I'm not sure. I need time to save up money for a cab and then maybe some food money..."

"A cab? I'll send the car over. I'm sure one of the maids that come twice weekly would not mind picking up the young master of the house."

"Really? That sounds great."

Kaoru rattled off his address to the kind man, and they worked out the details to when he would be arriving. After hanging up the phone, Kaoru curled up on his bed. Finally, he would be getting away from this place that he was forced to live in for six years.

As Kaoru daydreamed about his soon to be new life, a man made his way up the steps to his house. He wobbled back and forth as if on stilts.

"Kaoru!" he yelled as he slumped through the door. "Kaoru, get your ass in here!"

Kaoru scrambled up from his bed and paced quickly to the entry room. He took in the form of his foster father, Hitishi. He was drunk, again, but at least this time, he managed to keep his balance.

"Yes?" Kaoru asked as he got into the room.

"I-" Hitishi paused to belch loudly- "need a drink. Pour me a drink, right now!"

The boy scrambled to the liquor cabinet to retrieve Hitishi's favorite drink, whiskey. He poured the man a small glass and handed it to him carefully, though his entire body was shaking slightly. Whenever Hitishi drank, it got bad.

Kaoru tried to return to his room, but the older man sat a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Tell me... about your... day."

Kaoru tried not to shudder. He faced Hitishi.

"I cleaned the house just as you asked."

Hitishi took a look around the shabby room. While everything was old and musty, it was true that the room was spotless. The older man grinned at his ward. Today, he was in a good mood.

"Now ask me about my day."

Kaoru did as told.

"I got the number of a very attractive lady, and she will be here around nine. So get out of the house. Don't come back until tomorrow afternoon. And don't forget, the light bill is due tomorrow."

"Yes, I'll just get something from my room, and then I'll be gone."

"I said now, boy!"  
>Kaoru flinched. "I-I need to get... The money for the bill. Let me get it. I'll pay while I'm out."<p>

Hitishi pushed Kaoru forward, causing him to stumble. "What would I do without you?"

Kaoru stayed silent as he walked back to his room. There was a change in plans. He quickly hit the redial button on the phone and talked to the man on the other end again. He would have to leave tonight. If it wasn't tonight, it might be never.

After packing as many things into his backpack as he could- though, admittedly he didn't have much to begin with- Kaoru left the house that he had called home for six years, hoping that he would never have to see it again.

**OoO Present Day OoO**

Kaoru had the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He knew because this had happened many times to him during his eighteen years of life. Hitishi, whoever his new catch of the week was, the men who came over to play poker and drink. Kaoru knew he was an attractive young man, but he felt that the stares weren't only because of his good looks. He had always been young meat in the house of a desperate, old man.

So when he felt the stare now, he couldn't help but instantly feel like he was back in his old home. However, he stayed relaxed because he knew that tensing up would let his watcher know that he was awake. Ever so carefully, he faked a soft snore and rolled onto his side. Slowly, he cracked his eyes, only to realize that he wasn't in his old home. He was in his childhood home; he should have been completely alone.

Now his body tensed up. This was not normal, this was new, this was dangerous.

"Kaoru?" a soft voice whispered next to him.

And the person knew his name.

"Are you awake?"  
>And they knew he was awake.<p>

"Please, talk to me."

And they really wanted to... talk?

Kaoru slowly sat up in bed. He moved his eyes to the intruder only to be shocked by staring into his own eyes. At least, they looked exactly the same as his own eyes.

"H-Hikaru?"

The golden-eyed boy smiled across from him. He nodded his head then said, "Yes, it's me. Kaoru, it's been so long."

Hikaru held his arms out, moving forward to embrace his younger sibling, but the boy flinched and jerked back, causing him to fall off of the bed. Hikaru gasped, his hand reaching out to grab ahold of the boy before he hit the floor, but his hand missed. The resounding thump echoed through the room.

Hikaru didn't know if he should move forward to help his twin or let him get up on his own. He was afraid that if he moved at all, he would somehow startle Kaoru into hurting himself even more. So he didn't move at all.

"Kaoru?" he questioned after a moment of silence. "Are you alright? Do you need help?"

Kaoru sat on the floor with his arms and legs splayed awkwardly in a falling position. He slowly raised himself into a kneeling position, so he could be seen by his brother.

"Are you okay?" Hikaru questioned again.

"I'm..." Kaoru felt as if he swallowed taffy without chewing. His throat was tight, and it hurt to speak. He cleared his throat. "I'm fine," he said with less difficulty.

"I'm sorry for barging in. The butler told me where you were, and I just haven't seen you in so long that... It was dumb of me to burst into your room while you were asleep."  
>Kaoru shook his head. "Seven years," he said quietly.<p>

"What?"  
>"Seven years," he repeated, louder this time.<p>

Hikaru nodded. "I know it's been too long."

Kaoru shook his head again. Did Hikaru really not get it? Seven years, and not one visit. When Kaoru decided to come home... He never figured that that meant sharing a house with his twin. He was just so desperate to get away from Hitishi that he would have done anything.

"Kaoru, you act as if you're not happy to see me..."

"It took an entire year for me to get over you leaving me. I was so afraid that you would come back and take me home with you that I wouldn't even see any foster parents. But when it became clear that you moved on with your life, that you were too happy to even visit me, I moved on with mine.

"Except it wasn't that easy for me. I was twelve, and I was unruly, and Mrs. Jones had had enough. She always liked you best, Hikaru. On my own, she couldn't stand me. She gave me to the first person that walked through those doors."

"Kaoru, what are yo-"

"Don't! I don't want to hear it. I just... I came here because I have nowhere else to go, Hikaru! I didn't come here in hopes of seeing you... I gave up on that hope a long time ago."

Hikaru looked at the boy down on the floor. He wasn't Kaoru, at least, he wasn't fully Kaoru. The Kaoru he remembered smiled a lot and was always laughing. He could light up an entire room just by walking into it. Kaoru,who would always hold onto his shirt sleeves, so they wouldn't get separated. His younger twin, that he left behind in hopes that his future would become brighter without anyone holding him back. What happened to him?

"Kaoru, you don't understand. I never wanted to leave you. I never wanted you to be al-" Hikaru stopped talking. There were tears running down the cheeks of his brother's face.

"Kaoru, don't cry..."

Hikaru crawled to the side of the bed. He reached a hand out like he used to when he was younger, but Kaoru ignored it. Instead, Kaoru shakily got to his feet. The redheaded boy turned his back to his brother.

"If you would just let me explain," Hikaru said quietly. "Just listen to what I have to say."

Kaoru's shoulders started to shake violently as his tears turned into sobs that racked his lithe frame. All he wanted was to get away...

Kaoru stiffened as he felt warm arms wrap around him. He wanted to push the culprit away. This brother of his that left him all alone with a horrible man shouldn't be able to touch him. This brother shouldn't be able to comfort him and tell his side of the story. Yet Kaoru knew that this is what he had always dreamed of since the day Hikaru left him in the orphanage.

Hikaru felt Kaoru relax against him. He felt the boy's head lean back against his shoulder, and smiled to himself. This Kaoru that he saw before him could be fixed. He could have his brother back. All he needed was time to explain himself. Kaoru would understand, and he would forgive him.

** Haha! So I was hit by some inspiration, and I figured, Hey why not just post another chapter? And so I did. :) I hope everyone likes this little chapter, too. Please review and favorite and follow and whatever else this crazy site lets you do. **


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note

To anyone following this story, I'm really sorry about not updating. I had summer courses, and I recently just started college. Things have been hectic, but I do plan on updating this story soon. The updates might be sporadic. I really like this story, though, so I'm going to try my hardest to not let it die. 3


	4. Chapter 4

Kaoru turned in his brother's arms once he gained control of his tears. He gripped Hikaru's shirt in his hands tightly. Kaoru was still angry, but he missed being held by kind hands, hands that had no ulterior motives. The last time anyone had touched him like this was the day Hikaru had left him alone at the orphanage.

Hikaru rubbed soothing circles into his brother's back. It was just then that Hikaru realized exactly how small his brother had gotten. While Hikaru had eaten well and exercised often due to his love of soccer, Kaoru had obviously not been eating often enough. What had happened to Kaoru...?

"Kaoru, are you okay?"

Kaoru nodded his head but didn't talk. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, nothing would be able to come out.

"Kaoru," Hikaru took a large breath, "I tried to visit you."

Hikaru felt Kaoru tense. "No, don't say anything yet; just let me talk. I need to explain.

"I tried to visit you. I tried almost every day, Kaoru, and every time Mrs. Jones told me that you didn't want to see me. I-I just figured that you didn't want to see me because I hurt you so bad. I tried to give you some time, and that time turned into a week, then a month, then a year, and I was too afraid to go back and try again. If you rejected me again, I just wouldn't be able to handle it."

Kaoru's hands tightened on Hikaru's shirt, stretching the fabric tightly. That couldn't be true. Hikaru had never visited him, not once. So many times as a kid, Kaoru had asked Mrs. Jones if Hikaru had come by. He even begged her once to let him call his twin, but she refused, saying that he didn't want to talk to him.

"Kaoru, you can talk now."

Hikaru held Kaoru out at arms length when he didn't answer. He brought a finger out to Kaoru's chin, lifting his face.

"You have to say something..."

Kaoru's lip trembled again when he saw the look in his brother's eyes. It was a mixture of worry and pleading. Hikaru had lived with a guilt in his heart, just as Kaoru had lived with a pain in his.

"Mrs. Jones never told me you visited."

Hikaru looked shocked. "What? Why would she do something like that?"

Kaoru looked down. "She never liked me, Hikaru. I think she just wanted me to leave, and she knew that I wouldn't if there was a chance you were coming back for me."

The hand on Kaoru's shoulder started to tremble, and Kaoru drug his gaze from the floor to Hikaru's face. The older twin looked angry, no, angry wasn't a strong enough word. He looked absolutely furious.

"That bitch," Hikaru fumed.

In a flash, Hikaru had turned from Kaoru. His hand was on the doorknob to the room before Kaoru could even blink. The door was wrenched open and banged against the wall with a resounding thud, making Kaoru wince. Kaoru had only seen his brother this angry once before, the day a couple had said they could take only one twin, so they wanted to know which was the better one.

Kaoru knew that if Hikaru left the room this angry, he would do something that he would regret. While Hikaru's temper was fiery, it usually fizzled down pretty quickly.

Deciding that he needed to calm his brother down, Kaoru said, "Hikaru, please stop. Don't-don't go."

Hikaru froze. His body was still trembling, but at least he wasn't moving towards the door anymore. Kaoru slowly moved closer until he could wrap his arms around his brother's torso.

"Just stay."

"But, Kaoru, what she did to you..."

"Hikaru, please, just wait until you calm down. If you go in now, temper flaring, you'll do something you'll regret. Just wait, and we can do something about it, together."

Hikaru sighed. His body stopped trembling, and he seemed to sag down. Then he started to laugh. It started out as a low chuckle, but soon it became an loud chortle.

Kaoru tensed up, fearing that his brother was having a psychotic episode.

"Hikaru," he questioned, backing slowly, "are you okay?"  
>"I'm fine," Hikaru assured, turning and wiping at his eyes. "I just... I missed you. You're still the only one that can make me calm down. You don't even know how much trouble I got into without you."<p>

Kaoru smiled softly. "You always were a big idiot."

Hikaru grimaced. "After all these years and you still insult me?"

"I have a lot of time to make up for."

Hikaru looked down at the ground. "Does this mean that you forgive me?" He was suddenly afraid that seven years had ripped a gap too large to repair, even now.

When his brother didn't answer, Hikaru lifted his gaze from the ground. His twin had a sheen of tears in his eyes that made him look younger and vulnerable.

"Kaoru?"

Kaoru wiped at his eyes. "I just need some time, Hikaru..."


End file.
